The New England Revolution's four-game winning run came to a halt Wednesday as Nashville SC extended their unbeaten streak to nine matches with a 0-0 stalemate at Gillette Stadium.
The Revs were without the league's assist leader Carles Gil, but were boosted by Matt Turner and Tajon Buchanan returning from their impressive Gold Cup performances. The Eastern Conference leaders dominated the match from its early stages, growing in attack as the half went on. The best of the hosts' shots came when Gustavo Bou and Buchanan went close to scoring right before halftime, only to be denied by Joe Willis.
The pace of the match slowed down in the second half, as did the frequency of the opportunities. The Revolution got as close as they did to scoring in the 65th minute, when the referee called Jalil Anibaba for a foul on Bou and awarded a penalty. But after Video Review, the call was taken back with little contact evident.
Teal Bunbury provided a late pair of shots for the Revolution, including a header in the 91st minute from close range that was eventually saved by Willis. Daniel Lovitz recorded one of Nashville's rare second-half shots during the game's final minutes, but his header from close range went wide of the goal.
The Revs remain top of the Eastern Conference and have extended their unbeaten run to five, while Nashville sit in fourth place as their long unbeaten run rolls on.
Goals
- None
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Both teams lacked urgency for long stretches of the match, particularly during the second half. The Revs certainly missed the creativity in the final third of MVP frontrunner Carles Gil, while Nashville faded up top in the second half and didn't record a single shot on target in that time.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: The dynamic of the game looked like it might change in the 65th minute when the referee awarded the hosts a penalty kick, but the call was taken back after a Video Review.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Andrew Farrell was central to the Revs' defensive stability, ensuring Nashville were limited to only two shots on target on Wednesday.
Next Up
- NE: Sunday, August 8 vs. Philadelphia Union | 6 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)
- NSH: Sunday, August 8 at Inter Miami | 6 pm ET (MLS LIVE on ESPN+)